The Reading / Listening - Gaza Ceasefire - Level 5

Half a million Palestinians are returning to Gaza City following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The truce was because of extensive negotiations between Israel, Hamas, the USA, and Arab nations. It was orchestrated by Donald Trump. He hopes to bring peace to the region. Stage one of the peace deal involves the Israeli military leaving a large section of Gaza, and for Hamas to release 48 hostages. The ending of military action has allowed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to go to Gaza City, most of which is in ruins after two years of the conflict.

Emotions have been running high in recent days. Alongside the release of the Israeli hostages, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be freed. The brother-in-law of a hostage told the New York Post: "I have yet to process it all. I am naturally happy that this nightmare may soon be over." Gaza City residents are relieved, despite the destruction, almost no infrastructure, no electricity, and no running water. One resident said: "I pray that God relieves our sorrow and distress." Another man was more cautious after having moved 20 times in the past two years.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Gaza Ceasefire - Level 4 or  Gaza Ceasefire - Level 6

Sources
  • https://nypost.com/2025/10/09/world-news/families-of-hamas-hostages-feel-mix-of-joy-and-unease/
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/10/world/palestinians-returning-gaza-city-intl
  • https://apnews.com/article/gaza-shelling-ceasefire-israel-c832ff32cf332805ffb50bffa35e8220


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. following the ceasefire
  2. The truce was because of
  3. It was orchestrated
  4. He hopes to bring
  5. Stage one
  6. leaving a large
  7. release
  8. hundreds
  1. of the peace deal
  2. by Donald Trump
  3. 48 hostages
  4. section of Gaza
  5. peace to the region
  6. between Israel and Hamas
  7. of thousands
  8. extensive negotiations

Paragraph 2

  1. Emotions have been
  2. Alongside the release
  3. I have yet to process
  4. this nightmare may
  5. almost no
  6. I pray that God relieves
  7. Another man was more
  8. moved 20 times
  1. cautious
  2. soon be over
  3. in the past two years
  4. it all
  5. our sorrow and distress
  6. running high
  7. infrastructure
  8. of the Israeli hostages

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) ________________________________________________ Palestinians are returning to Gaza City following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The truce was because (2) ________________________________________________ between Israel, Hamas, the USA, and Arab nations. It (3) ________________________________________________ Donald Trump. He hopes to bring peace to the region. Stage one of the peace deal involves the Israeli (4) ________________________________________________ large section of Gaza, and for Hamas to release 48 hostages. The ending of military action has allowed (5) ________________________________________________ of Palestinians to go to Gaza City, most of which is in ruins after two years (6) ________________________________________________.

Emotions have been running (7) ________________________________________________ days. Alongside the release of the Israeli hostages, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners are (8) ________________________________________________ freed. The brother-in-law of a hostage told the New York Post: "I have yet to process it all. I am naturally happy (9) ________________________________________________ may soon be over." Gaza City (10) ________________________________________________, despite the destruction, almost no infrastructure, no electricity, and no running water. One resident said: "I pray that God relieves our (11) ________________________________________________." Another man was (12) ________________________________________________ having moved 20 times in the past two years.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

HalfamillionPalestiniansarereturningtoGazaCityfollowingtheceasefi
rebetweenIsraelandHamas.Thetrucewasbecauseofextensivenegoti
ationsbetweenIsrael,Hamas,theUSA,andArabnations.Itwasorchest
ratedbyDonaldTrump.Hehopestobringpeacetotheregion.Stageoneo
fthepeacedealinvolvestheIsraelimilitaryleavingalargesectionofGaza
,andforHamastorelease48hostages.Theendingofmilitaryactionhasa
llowedhundredsofthousandsofPalestinianstogotoGazaCity,mostofw
hichisinruinsaftertwoyearsoftheconflict.Emotionshavebeenrunning
highinrecentdays.AlongsidethereleaseoftheIsraelihostages,nearly2
,000Palestinianprisonersareexpectedtobefreed.Thebrother-in-lawo
fahostagetoldtheNewYorkPost:"Ihaveyettoprocessitall.Iamnaturall
yhappythatthisnightmaremaysoonbeover."GazaCityresidentsarerel
ieved,despitethedestruction,almostnoinfrastructure,noelectricity,a
ndnorunningwater.Oneresidentsaid:"IpraythatGodrelievesoursorro
wanddistress."Anothermanwasmorecautiousafterhavingmoved20ti
mesinthepasttwoyears.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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